Like Beaten Pyjacks
by QueenyProductions
Summary: Rejected Okeer experiment Giger lies in a pool of his own blood, having been cut down by his own When he's saved by the mysterious Faust, he sees himself as his own man, until he unwittingly signs his soul over to Will trading one master for another be worth his sacrifice? Or will he again be a slave for another's designs?
1. The Spark

**Chapter I: The Spark**

Steel was unlike Giger in every way, though they were brother's they couldn't have been any more different. It felt almost natural, like they had been born normal krogan and that their parents had loved their unique differences and doted on them.

Except they weren't natural, just something concieved in a tube and grown in a tank until the day Okeer rejected them for their flaws and sent them out into the world. Giger had never before considered he would be squaring off against his brother in the land of dead memories.

Steel was tall by krogan standards and lean, yet still powerful, with beautiful crests that were almost silver. In the light they almost shined, it used to hurt his eyes. Giger was wide, not fat but heavy with muscle and with crests so black they seemed to suffocate all light. Then there were the scars, three across his crest and one across his eye, with several dozen over his body and there was one chip in his crest that always bugged him.

To the corner of the large room, beside an old throne, were a turian and a human girl with dark hair. He didn't recognize the human, she was new, but the turian he knew well - Captain Ryöstää. He had kidnapped her, or so he thought.

She had been so calm and now she had so easily escaped, like she had planned it all. Which, of course, she did. Ryö was a clever bitch, she probably knew what Giger was planning and purposefully fell into it, in order to bring Giger and Steel together and finally end this stupid feud.

That was fine with him. Once Steel was defeated he would have proven his point - and Steel would leave that damn turian and her crew and return to the Blood Pack.

"You sure you don't want the other sword?" Steel asked.

Giger had to grit his teeth, or else he would say something foul and he'd rather not sour the memory of the dead any more than he was now. Steel was so sure of himself, so fucking sure that he would win. And with a _sword?_ It was insulting.

"There's a reason swords went out of fashion," Giger retorted. "In an age of guns I'll shoot you down before you even get close to me."

Steel laughed, not in a harsh way, but as if his brother had said the best joke in the universe.

"We'll see," he said. "There's no way to truly guarantee the outcome of a battle."

Giger trained his gun on his brother. "I can guarantee the outcome," he said. "Just give me the word - I'll kill you without hesitation."

Steel looked taken back and Giger knew why - this wasn't about death, but the longer it went on the more Giger wanted to kill his brother. Giger just wanted to shoot him right in his smug mouth, make him take back what he did, make him come back.

Steel glanced over at Ryö, a fleeting look, barely noticeably. It signalled the end. She gave him a sharp nod and Steel shifted his stance, ever so slightly, pushing his weight down onto his left leg. He was going to take off on that leg, aim for Giger's left side.

He knew how to counter, as soon as he charged all Giger had to do was shift and block. It was so easy; he would be the better krogan. Steel charged, Giger braced, shifting his stance at the last moment as he prepared to block from the left -

And Steel appeared to his right, having transferred his weight to his right at the last moment. Giger tried to block, but he knew he was too late; the moment Steel's face appeared so close to his he knew it was over. He felt the blade run across him.

Steel stepped back, just in time to avoid the spray of blood. Giger gasped and coughed, dropping his gun as he reached for his chest. He felt woozy as dark spots appeared in his vision. He collapsed to his knees, wanting to touch the wound but felt it ache like a sun boiled in his very flesh.

Steel looked down at his brother, as he always did, and there was nothing his face by pity. Giger hated that look. He hated the way Steel looked down on him like he was some beaten varren left on the side of the road, neglected and unwanted.

"What now?" he gasped. "Are you going to finish me off? Leave me to die?"

"Don't be so dramatic," Steel pressed the butt of the blade's handle to Giger's forehead and pushed him to the ground. "I'm going to leave you here to consider your future. If you survive, I don't want to_ ever_ see you again."

Giger didn't even try to get up, the dark patches surrounding his vision had begun to expand and soon he would be gone to the world. Steel hesitated to leave, wondering if leaving his brother here, defenceless, at the hands of the wild Tuchanka.

He looked up at Ryö, who was trying to calm the human, Eve, who insisted on checking for injuries. Ryö caught his eye and gave him a weak smile, not her usual confident self. Steel had just cut down his brother; there was nothing she could really say to make him feel better.

Steel turned and left, joining Ryö and Eve and leaving the ruins of Clan Tase'la and leaving his brother in the red sand.

Giger tried to fight the pain, tried to push past the dark spots, but it was far too late. He was going to die here, to face the Void either by bleeding out or be eaten alive by varren. Neither was a great choice, but perhaps bleeding out was better than feeling teeth scrape your bone as your flesh was torn and chewed.

For a long time as he waited for death there was nothing but regret and hate, as a person doesn't repent when faced with death. To think so is naive. Giger still hated Steel; he abandoned Giger to live with Ryö. He traded his Blood Pack armour for a crew man's uniform.

As the darkness around him grew thicker and the world colder Giger felt himself slipping away. This was it. This was goodbye. Just as he was dragged under he thought he saw something - _someone?_ - that shone bright white and seemed to make everything a little warmer.

...

Krogan don't believe in angels, but Giger thought he saw one in a veil and a beautiful white uniform within that light. He had heard of a human speak of angels once, Giger had laughed at the image of a human with wings coming to answer prayers. He wasn't laughing much now.

It took Giger a moment to realize that if he was able to think such a clear thought he couldn't possibly be dead, unless this was the Void and he was unaware of how alive he felt in a land of the dead. No, that couldn't be right.

He felt the ground beneath him, found it to be soft but with the hard bumps that indicated he was set on a blanket on the rough ground. He was alive? He slowly awoke, taking in his surroundings. He was dizzy and an annoying tingling sensation ran across his chest from where he was struck.

He checked the wound, also finding his chest bare, and saw a bright pink scar running diagonally across his chest, going up from his right hip to the left side of his chest. He didn't have the same healing ability as other krogan, one of the reasons Okeer rejected him, but the wound had healed rather fast.

Which meant... Steel wasn't trying to kill him.

The wound wasn't that deep, it barely cut the muscle. No krogan would die from such a shallow wound, but the shock and the pain of a biotic blade had rendered him unconscious, which explained what Steel said. Steel couldn't die from the blade, but the varren and conditions would do the job.

Steel was testing Giger, testing his will to live. Steel wanted his brother alive, but why? Giger didn't want this; he didn't want to live as the shadow of his former self. He had wanted to kill Steel, but wasn't strong enough, and then he wanted to die, but Steel had denied him that.

No, not Steel, not exactly. Steel had left Giger in the dirt, so who had carried Giger into this chamber, laid him down and cleaned him up? Not Steel, that's for sure. He never wanted to see his brother again and if he was testing Giger he couldn't very well help him.

So who?

Someone appeared in the doorway of the chamber and Giger shot up, realizing too late his mistake as the cut reopened and blood poured down his chest. The figure stepped towards him, slowly, and picked up a sponge she had left in a bowl on the side.

She gently dabbed at the wound and he got a good look at her. Her hair was short, almost shaved, and spiked and a shade of white that didn't seem natural. Her eyes were hard, icy and blue. Her face was a little narrow, like she was underfed, but wasn't so gaunt she looked sick. And, much like Aria, she had a strip of dark purple running down her lips to her chin. He wasn't sure if it was a tattoo or not.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded. "Why did you bring me here?"

"I merely assisted your brother in delivering you unto a new fate," she replied.

He stared at her, a little confused. She smirked at his expression.

"Sorry, a habit of mine," she said. "What I mean is, your brother wanted you to have a second chance, but if you were eaten first then you'd not be off to the best start."

"Was there really that good a chance of me being eaten?" he asked.

She shrugged, "I saw no varren," she said. "But who'd want to take that chance?"

Giger let her finish cleaning the wound, all the while considering where his life was headed. She applied a layer of Omni-gel, at this time it would do no good, but it would ease the pain and help the skin fix back together. She debated stitching it, but he hardly heard her.

"You've spent so long killing in order to earn your next paycheque you're probably tired of it," she observed. "The Blood Pack tell you to kill this guy, you do it without a second thought. Destroy that building, sure why not? Maybe it's time for something new."

"Who are you?" he asked again. "Why are you here, in Tase'la?"

"To tell you the truth," she said, "I can't tell you."

"Why?"

"Because I would be compromised. I shouldn't even be talking to you, but when I saw your brother had spared you I just had to help."

"Have you been following me?" for some reason the thought excited him, like he was involved in those conspiracies he used to read about.

"Not quite," she replied. "I was sent to watch the situation. Someone of interested picked up the transmissions and decided Ryö was too great an asset to lose. Who knew my involvement was unnecessary?"

"So what do you want with me?" he asked. "How do you propose to help?"

"I want you to work with me," she answered. "A new life. A new start. I can't lie and say the work will be different, because it's rather similar, but I can promise you that you will fighting for the people who need that caring hand."

"What are you, a vigilante?" he said.

"I wish," she laughed.

Giger considered it for a moment, and then decided against it. He wasn't going to trade one master for another, not when he had a new life ready to be explored. His life was like some blank paper, ready to be scribbled on. If he joined this woman, following her orders, then she would be deciding his fate and drawing the lines he must follow on his page.

"No," he said eventually. "I will not be treated like some beaten pyjack at your beck and call."

She frowned, which was actually a rather scary look. She was determined to lock him in, because really he had so much potential to help the people of Omega that to let it go to waste would be a crime. He could help so many, if he just gave her a chance.

She didn't have to resort to desperate measures, but he was making her very desperate. The people of Omega could use him, more importantly, so could she. An Executioner without a Familiar and he was the perfect candidate. If only he would concede.

"I didn't have to use this," she said, "but you're forcing me to invoke the life debt."

He stopped, as if he didn't hear what she said, then he slowly turned to glare at her.

"You would dare-"

"I would," she cut in, taking a brave step forwards. "You shall work for me until the life debt is paid - until you save my life as I saved yours."

Life debts were old, as ancient as the krogan, and to deny one would be dishonourable. Some of the greatest bonds were made through life debts. But he didn't have to follow through, not when his wound couldn't have killed him, but as she said - what about the prowling varren?

He would have to follow through. He had honour now and unspoiled life and reputation, why create a blotch on his tapestry when it was so new and unfinished? Besides, as she said, he would be serving the people - not some Blood Pack general who thought too highly of his position.

He sighed in submission. "I will honour the life debt," he promised, "but in return I want your word that as soon as it is repaid I am free to go?"

"On my honour," she made a cross over her heart.

"First thing's first," he said, raising his hand. "Who are you and what exactly am I going to be doing?"

She knew it was fair to tell him the truth, he was in the life debt so there was really no escaping. He just wondered how he would react to knowing who was actually in charge. Better get it out of the way, she supposed.

"I am the Executioner, Faust," she introduced. "And we are going to handle all external threats that face the Queen of Omega, Aria."

He paused, absorbing her words, remembering what she mentioned about helping the people and now how she happily declares they are going to be working for Aria. This is not what he wanted, not at all! This is just like his old life, but worse!

In that moment of rage only one word came out.

**_"What?!"_**

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

_My first chapter and a prequel story, something new. I hope this story does well, as I'm rather fond of Faust and Giger and would hate to think no one liked them XD Please review._


	2. The Mouse in The Citadel

**Chapter II: The Mouse in The Citadel**

Giger was angry. He sat with his arms folded, pouting like some spoiled child, looking like he regretted every single decision that had led up to this point in life. Faust didn't say anything, just occasionally glanced at him, seeing if his anger was going to subside.

She sighed. This was not the best start to her partnership; she needed Giger to be willing and able to fight for Omega's cause. She could understand his disdain, after following the orders of others for so long she could understand his want for freedom, not another master.

She set the ship on auto-pilot and turned her chair towards him. He shot her a glare. She gave a shaky grin in order to hide her discomfort.

"I get it," she said, "you're mad at me. I should have told you about Aria, but if I had would you have honoured the life debt?"

"Yes," he said without hesitation. "You expect me to go into this partnership, trusting you, when already you have deceived me?"

"I deceive a lot of people," she said. "It's part of my job."

"Well, I'm your partner now," he retorted. "I expect honesty in exchange for my services."

The grin fell from her face and she nodded seriously. "Alright then," she said. "If this is going to work then I will need to be honest. So first off - you don't technically work for Aria."

"Then who do I work for?" he asked. "You?"

"No," she replied. "We work for the people of Omega. That's our job. Aria may tell us what to do and where to go, but our priority is the welfare of the people. Someone starts selling Red Sand to kids? Then it's our job to take that dealer out."

"I know Aria isn't particularly a fan of Red Sand, but I didn't think she cared so much for her people," he said.

"You forget how Aria came to power," she retorted. "She won over the people to earn her position, under the guise of a dancer, and hid her true power. But now that she has power she must maintain it and if Omega falls into ruin she loses the support of her people. She needs them to be happy, to feel safe, if she is to rule."

"I get it," he said. "Keep the people happy, keep control. But how can she expect two people to do it?"

"There are actually thirteen of us," she said. "Well, technically, there are thirteen Executioners - which is my title - and about ten Familiars - that's you. Executioner's from one to nine handle all external and internal threats that face Aria, while ten to thirteen see to issues facing the people."

"Familiar?" he repeated and then shrugged. "I've had worse titles."

"Does this make you feel better about your new job?" she asked.

"Yeah, it actually does..." he said.

She smiled and turned her chair back towards the controls. "Not much longer until we reach Omega," she said. "I've got to make a few calls to arrange your stay."

"You've hired me without clearing it with anyone?" he said.

"Yeah," she said. "It shouldn't be a problem. Aria couldn't care less about Familiars, only if they betray us, then she'll come for you."

She said it so nonchalantly, like it wasn't a big deal. He wondered if anything like that had ever happened, if Aria had to kill a Familiar because they traded her secrets. Had he ever been like that, so nonchalant about punishment towards his own men?

He couldn't really remember, he was doing his best to push those memories inside a dark box and forget about them forever. Faust made several calls to five different people, explaining to each one how she had picked up Giger - like he was some stray - and hired him as her Familiar.

Once everything had been cleared they got a confirmation of his new position, along with some other fiddly details that could be sorted once on Omega, and then shortly after they received a new message that had Faust turning the ship around.

"Where are we going?" he asked. "I thought our destination was Omega."

"It was, but we're needed elsewhere," she replied.

She opened a terminal and it appeared beside Giger. On screen was an image from Citadel security, a female turian speaking with a batarian as a human besides her presented a crate to the batarian that was filled with a variety of weapons.

A small text box appeared in the left corner, presenting the identity and crime of the female turian. Vestä Kassarian, a turian diplomat, charged with selling faulty weapons and medical equipment that had sent doctors and mercenaries into conflict with shop keepers, some unaware that their product was broken.

He went back to her title. "Diplomat?" he read aloud. "Isn't that a little... risky? This isn't like a hit on some low level merc, this is someone within Palaven's political system and we could get into a lot of trouble if we're caught."

"First of all, we won't get caught," she said. "Second, I won't let that bitch endanger patients or shop keepers with her faulty merchandise."

Giger tried to look around the chair, make out her expression, but he couldn't stretch that far and he felt he already knew what look she wore. She was determined to keep the citizens of Omega safe. It was like she said - they served the people, not Aria.

"Then let's hope you have a good plan," he said.

She smiled, "Don't you worry," she said. "There's nothing I'm not ready for."

They passed the relay and entered Citadel space. In the distant the great looming ship hovered, a beacon to all life in the galaxy, a place where all races could come together. Or rather, where most races could come together. Giger had never been to the Citadel and Faust was sure she had never seen a vorcha within the huge station.

As they neared they intercepted the call of a friendly sounding human female. "Greetings, approaching vessel, can you please confirm your visitor ID?" she asked.

"This is the Goethe, ID 47826-I," Faust replied.

"Your ID has been confirmed," the women confirmed. "What is the meaning of your visit?"

"Leisure," Faust replied. "We've come to enjoy the sights for a few days."

"Report to Bay 3G," the women ordered, "and have a nice stay."

Faust steered the ship towards the Citadel, then switched on auto-pilot and saw to Giger. They both required disguises, just like the ship. The ship itself was called Fantasia, not the Goethe, but thanks to a 'chameleon' code within the system the ship was always cloaked.

Any ID could be imprinted and changed whenever necessary and when scanned by security systems the ship would appear under a new name, with a whole new history. Even Faust's identity changed with each new scan. Today she was Martha Valentine, and her companion was Frosch, her trusted body guard.

She dissapeared into a small room as the ship began its docking sequence. After several minutes she returned, dressed in an asari-style dress with bright pink lips and a wig of red curly hair. Her tattoo had easily been hidden and she wore a little more eyeliner than usual. The wig looked natural and fitted well.

She reached into her small black purse and pulled out a can of spray. He gave her a weary look.

"I can't have you go in looking like that," she said. "We need your identity hidden in order to secure the success of our mission. Don't worry, it's not permanent."

He grumbled something as she took the lid off and began to spray his dark crests.

...

Giger didn't like having to leave his armour behind, it made him feel like he was abandoning the only comfort he had left in life. The stupid beige thing he wore, some popular krogan fashion on the Citadel, was stupid because of all its failings.

He checked his reflection in the shine of the ship's wall. His crests now resembled a deep ruddy red, with patches of deep black around the tips and corners, all the tones falling in naturally like this was his natural crest colours.

The krogan staring back at him was Frosch, the body guard of Martha Valentine. There was no Giger, not anymore, he had died on Tuchanka and the Blood Pack he led continued with their lives as if he did not exist, as if for years he had not led them.

He shook his head, deciding to distract himself with his ugly clothes. It was too tight, he couldn't run in it and there was no room for hiding weapons. He asked her again for a weapon, she could easily hide it in her purse, but she said no and instead gave him a thick black bracelet. Inside the curve were some engraved characters.

"Vi veri... veniversum vivus... vici?" he read it carefully, not used to human characters.

"It contains the same chameleon code that's within the ship's systems and can be changed through your Omni-tool," she explained. "It can fool the scanners, but just remember each identity you can create. Too many and you won't be able to keep up."

She reached in her bag, taking out another bracelet and clasping it to her wrist. She paused for a second, ticking off a list in her head, making sure she had everything and then nodded and they left.

They passed through the scanners without a hitch, not even a second glance, and suddenly Giger realized that he had made it into the Citadel. He had never been to the Citadel, though he had always wondered what it was like to live in this little Eden.

He walked over to the large glass windows, looking down at the flowing stream and green grass. The white apartments with their balcony's overlooking the beauty of the gardens looked so nice. In the distance was the Krogan Monument, people bustled by, cars flew overhead and it was just like all the brochures he had seen.

"It's nice, isn't it?" she said. "I tried to live here once, but I left after a week."

"Why?" he asked. "Because the people of Omega needed you?"

"No, I just couldn't stand the idea of living inside a giant ship," she said. "It's nice and all, but I get a little crazy if I'm inside a ship for too long."

He could understand that, he felt the same way. He never could understand how the quarians did it. He tore himself away from the window and turned to her, deciding to fall into his new role.

"So what's our next move, Ms. Valentine?" he asked.

"We need to find a friend of mine," she answered. "He can give us all the answers we need."

She led him down to the Presidium and to Apollo's Cafe. It was busy this time of day, but even amongst all the faces Faust managed to make out the one she needed. She walked over to a young man and sat beside him. For a moment he was surprised, then he got a good look at her and recognition seemed to slightly ease him.

"How did you find me?" he asked.

"If you're not here, Mouse, then you're probably in Purgatory," she replied.

Mouse eyed Giger as he came to stand behind Faust, now he looked a little unsettled and shifted in his seat.

"Don't worry about Frosch," she said. "He won't bite. Just tell me what I need to know and then I'm going."

"A-alright," he said. "I can't guarantee I'll be of any help..."

"Now, that's a lie," she laughed. "You know all the workings of the Citadel, Mouse. If there was anyone else, anyone better, wouldn't I be there instead of here?"

"Well, yeah..." he said.

"So tell me what you know about Vestä Kassarian," she said.

"Vestä Kassarian? The turian diplomat?" he asked.

She nodded.

"I don't know much," he said. "Her position is not that high within the Turian Hierarchy, I think she works for the transportation department. I know that she sells faulty weapons and medical equipment to the people of Omega. The medical equipment gives false readings, the guns backfire-"

"I know all that," Faust interrupted. "I want to know who she deals with and where."

"Once a week, in her private bay, that's when she holds the meetings," Mouse answered. "Her buyers change depending on where her merchandise goes, but the Omega buyer is a human, a man with stupid blue hair."

"When's the next deal?" she asked.

"Tomorrow," he said, "just when the lights in the Presidium go down for the day/night shift. There'll be a guy waiting outside her bay, her guard, just tell him _'Spirits be with me'_."

She smiled and brought up her Omni-tool. She fiddled with something and then Mouse's own Omni buzzed, he checked it and he suddenly looked serene.

"That payment should be sufficient enough," she said.

"T-thanks," he said. "You're always too kind, Ms. Valentine."

"I'm only kind because I keep hoping you'll leave this place and go find a job elsewhere," she replied as she stood. "You're still young, go do something with your life."

They left, heading back towards the bay. Giger glanced back at Mouse, who stared at the figures on his Omni-tool. Faust wanted Mouse to leave, she made it sound like the Citadel was such a terrible place, and maybe it was. Giger had only seen the clean, shiny surface, not the grime beneath.

Back in her ship, Faust made preparations for tomorrow. Giger still had no weapon, neither did Faust, and so he wondered how they were going to kill Vestä when neither of them had anything to do the task with. A thought struck him, when he realized Faust had never had a weapon on her, not even when she saved him.

He left his room, which was a small space with a bed he barely fit into and a shelf he almost hit his head on. He shouldn't really complain, the bed was suitable for humans, not krogan, and this was a ship for humans. She had given him the only bed, just another reason not to complain.

Faust was sat in her seat, examining her red wig. He hadn't washed off the paint, she said he still needed to be disguised.

"Problem?" she asked.

"Sort of," he said. "There are no weapons on this ship, which must mean you're a biotic, right?"

"You figured it out rather quickly," she remarked.

"I'm not _that_ stupid," he retorted.

"If you're worried about how you are going to defend yourself," she said, "don't. I have everything planned."

"Planned?" he repeated. "You have nothing planned. You're given information and then you improvise."

"Exactly, I'm planning," she said.

He rolled his eyes, exasperated, and took a seat. He wondered how he was going to spend the next few hours, was he to just sit and wait for tomorrow? She put her wig back on, adjusting it, and stood. There was still time left, there was plenty of information left to gather.

"You can go out, you know," she said.

"Really?" he said.

"Yes," she said, "we have got time until we put our plan into action."

"Didn't figure a diplomat would be seen in such a place," he remarked.

"If you're sure..." he said, easing towards the exit.

She heard the door open and he was gone, not even waiting for confirmation. Faust just smiled.

...

Purgatory was loud and colourful and full of people and the worst possible place to commit an assassination. It was an odd thing to consider in such a happy place, but everyone was crashing into one another, pissed beyond reason, and he didn't like these kinds of places.

He should have left, gone back to Apollo's Café, but he did enjoy watching the female dancers. It had been awhile since he had done anything that wasn't mercenary work, every time he went out it was always with a gun at his side.

He left light without it, like he was missing a limb. He looked at the dancers once more, realizing it was no fun just to watch and that he couldn't possibly join because he had two left feet. Perhaps it was best to go. He had killed a few hours exploring the Citadel, so he felt good about going back.

He got up to leave, when someone caught his eye. A twitchy human who made quick haste to reach a private booth that was just out of view. What was Mouse doing in a fancy booth? It certainly wasn't his, no one looked scared to enter their own guarded booth.

Giger pursed his lip, deciding to follow. He went up to the next level, where most of the dancers wore, and casually leaned on the rail as he looked down. None of the booths were closed off, but this one was because of all the guards. It made it hard to see through.

From this vantage point, though, he could see clearly. He could see Mouse speaking to a female turian and Giger felt his stomach drop, a painful sickly worry that they were being ratted out. He had to warn Faust, tell them they were being set up.

He turned to leave and walked into a pack of five guards. He glanced down at Mouse and Vestä, and felt his blood boil as the turian looked up at him, smiled and raised her glass. They had been played. He promised that if he got out of this alive he so going to kill Mouse.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

_This chapter felt like a whole lot of nothing. I tried my best to edit out pointless parts, but I'm still not entirely happy, tell me what you think._


	3. Cutting Out The Disease

**Chapter III: Cutting Out The Disease**

Giger stared at the five guards, the five set of guns trained on him. This was going to be difficult to get out of, especially with no armour and no weapons. They would kill him, just not here. He realized that then, at that moment, that they couldn't kill him in public without delivering some unwanted attention to Vestä's door.

This meant they couldn't really shoot him, not without hurting civilians or making trouble. He noticed the guards had no specific uniform and their guns were well hidden, barely visible. To anyone this may have looked like bouncers doing their job or maybe even C-Sec business.

_Clever bitch,_ he thought. _This is why I don't like turians!_

"Come along, sir," said one of the men. "I think you've had too much to drink."

So they _were_ going the bouncer route, which was even better. Citadel bouncers were not permitted to carry any firearms, so if they fired they would give away their identity, bringing down the real security who would only complicate matters.

"Sir, are you going to come along quietly?" another asked.

Giger just smirked, as if he would let himself get taken in. He jumped over the rail. He landed on a table, sadly not Vestä's, and it buckled beneath his weight. The splintered wood, bit into his side. Someone screamed in surprise and the guards looked down in shock. Giger jumped to his feet and bolted for the entrance, pushing past party-goers.

He headed to the elevator, pressing the button for the docking bay. No one had followed him, but they would soon be on his trail. He needed to get to Faust, change his look, and then figure out what she knew. She wasn't stupid; she must have known Mouse was untrustworthy.

The elevator doors opened and he ran for the Goethe, almost running into the door in his haste. He got inside, finding Faust sat in her chair, looking annoyed. Why was she annoyed? He was the one who was almost captured, who could have been killed if they managed to get his hands on him.

"Do you know what just happened to me?" he asked.

"I can guess," she said. "Did it happen to involve Mouse?"

"You knew?" he cried.

"I knew Mouse would betray us," she confirmed. "He has that kind of whimpering personality that he would sell us out to save his own hide."

"Then why risk it?" Giger gasped. "Why did you gather information from him and treat him so kindly?"

"Because now he owes us," she smiled. "He knows we're alive and that we're coming for him - he'll do anything to repay us."

"You're a twisted woman," he growled. "I could have been killed!"

"It wasn't supposed to be you," she snapped. "I said you could leave so you would be out of the way, then I would go to Purgatory."

"Then why did you take so long?" he demanded. "I was wandering around for hours."

"I had already been there," she replied. "I followed Mouse for ages and when he went to Purgatory I watched as he talked to Vestä. I got what I needed. I knew he was working with her and was probably selling me out. I didn't think you'd go there..."

"Then why didn't you call me back?" he asked.

"I thought you would have liked the time to yourself," she replied. "After everything that's happened... a few hours living as another person must have been good for you."

All the anger he felt evaporated, despite how badly he wanted to be mad at her. She had risked his life by not telling him of her discovery, but she had tracked Mouse down first and then gave Giger the time to enjoy a few hours of freedom.

Her heart was in the right place, if a little misguided.

"So what _did_ happen?" she asked.

He explained quickly, how he spotted Mouse talking with Vesta and how she set his guards on him. When she heard how he escaped, but had been seen, she began to change his crest colour as she explained her plan.

"As I said, Mouse owes me," she explained. "He knows I'll kill him and I'll do it in the worst way possible. He won't just disappear if Vestä gets him, he'll die with the worst reputation. Something like autoerotic asphyxiation, enough so his friends and family will deny knowing him."

"Will that really be worse than just disappearing?" he asked.

"If you dissapeared, people would look for you," she said. "If you died while doing something terrible everyone will remember you with a sneer. Trust me, I'd rather disappear."

"Alright," he said. "He sides with us, rather than face embarrassment and death, and then what?"

"Vestä knows we're coming for her, but she can't yet leave because as a diplomat it's required she stays until her business with the Councillors is concluded," Faust answered. "She'll have a safe room, an apartment, and Mouse will help us find it."

She set down the can of spray, admiring his now red crest that flared wonderfully within its depths of dark tone. She stared at it for a long second, reminded of a time in her childhood when the only colour she saw was red - blood, cuts, Sand.

She tore her eyes away, cutting off those memories like an infected limb.

"What if your threat isn't enough to scare him into helping us?" he asked. "No matter who he sides with, he's avoiding death."

"Mouse isn't brave but he isn't stupid either," she said. "Vesta is powerful, but he knows Martha Valentine can't be killed - they've tried to kill her before and she always comes back."

"Let's hope you're right," he said. "Now we just need to find Mouse."

"He'll be where all vermin scurry off to," she said. "The Holding Area."

Faust changed her wig, putting on a long black, braided wig and quickly changed both of their identities before taking the elevator down to the Holding Area. Giger had to admit, she was more prepared than he ever was for any assignment.

No matter what the situation she had a new disguise, a plan, she worked against her disadvantages. If this was what an Executioner between ten and thirteen was capable of, he couldn't begin to imagine how strong and clever an Executioner tasked with handling Omega was.

They arrived at Cargo Hold A, it was empty expect for Mouse, sat in the corner by a faulty AI with his head on his knees. He was like some child expecting punishment. He heard their approaching steps and looked up. He paled and scrambled to his feet.

"I'm sorry!" he cried. "You've got to tell Ms. Valentine that I'm sorry, Gretchen!"

Another disguise, but the same face. The only real difference was the make-up and clothes, but for a man desperate to live it was enough to convince him this was another woman. He seemed terrified of this persona, which made Giger wonder what she had done in the past.

"Sorry may not cover it," she said. "You remember that krogan in Purgatory? Vestä's men caught up to him and killed him. This big guy next to me, Mephistopheles, he was that krogan's brother."

Mouse looked like he was about to cry. Faust came forwards, shushing him gently. Giger just watched, deciding to play the angry brother. He remembered back to when Steel cut him, remembered that rage. Whatever face he pulled, it was enough to make Mouse whimper.

"You can fix this, Mouse," she said so soothingly. "I can talk to Ms. Valentine, tell her you helped us."

"Will she leave me alone?" he asked.

"Maybe," she said. "You're still a good informant, too valuable to just kill. So will you help us?"

He nodded quickly, not a second of hesitation. It was just as Faust predicted - disappearing was easy, dying with a dirty reputation wasn't.

...

Vestä had an apartment in the Presidium Commons. It was the perfect place for her to hide; no one would look for a diplomat in such a common place. There weren't even a guard on the door, as expected, but every thirty minutes two guards would leave to scout the area or get something and then return.

One guard was a krogan, the other a quarian.

Sat by Apollo's Café, Faust began planning. Giger just waited patiently, glancing over at the krogan and quarian who seemed to enjoy spending their thirty minutes of freedom doing nothing. He could relate. He often used to spend time doing nothing if he had some minutes alone during an assignment.

"So what is the plan?" he asked. "I feel like I'm missing out - _again._"

"You won't miss out this time," she promised. "In fact, this mission won't work without you."

She gave him a strange look, something like excitement mingled with a little bit of insanity. He felt an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

...

The krogan guard ordered his companion to wait by the café, the quarian didn't ask where he was going, he could guess. The krogan moved into the presidium, in search of the toilets. Hands grabbed him, pulling him into a dark corner, and suddenly he was unconscious.

Giger examined the piece of cloth in his hand, wondering what Faust had laced it with. Whatever it was, it was powerful enough to knock out a krogan. He dragged the krogan off to a facility closet, laying him on the floor and then pulled out a small ball.

He didn't trust this thing to work, not when Faust admitted it was a 'working project'. He had no choice, despite his reservations this was the only way to get to Vestä. He activated the ball, it flew from his hand, hovering over the unconscious guard and scanned him.

It then turned to Giger and scanned him, as it did a veil came over Giger, a layer of cover something like a holographic but smoother. The ball landed in Giger's hand and he tucked it away. He checked his reflection; he looked just like the unconscious guard - even down to the dent in the guard's armour.

They could have easily painted Giger's crests as they had been doing, but they needed to mimic the guard perfectly, and with the cuts and broken crest Giger couldn't easily pass for a known associate. This was better. Here's hoping he could pull it off.

He left the room, throwing a cover over the guard first, and then ran to the quarian companion who Faust had identified as Ytil'anors. Faust knew him as the quarian who had left his fleet after completing his Pilgrimage, he was tired of the confinements of the ship and left to explore the galaxy. It was a little unusual, but not uncommon.

Ytil hadn't seemed to notice the change in his companion.

"What's up?" he said.

"I just spotted that woman," Giger answered. "I overheard her planning something with that krogan who escaped Vestä."

"And? What are they planning?" Ytil'anors asked.

"They know where her apartment is," Giger replied. "They're planning on breaking in tonight. I'm not sure how, but she mentioned explosives."

"bosh'tet!" he swore. "We have to move her back to the ship."

"No, everyone knows where her ship is docked," Giger said. "We need somewhere else, some place no one knows, not even that coward Mouse."

Ytil considered that for a long time, he thought of all the places that Vestä would be safe, and he finally came up with something. He called the guards within the apartment and ordered them to move Vestä to move down to the docks.

Ytil led Giger to the elevator and on the ride down Giger decided to squeeze some more information out of him.

"The docks?" Giger asked.

"Yeah, weird I know," Ytil agreed. "But there's a cargo tank that she uses in emergencies. If she needs to leave quietly then she enters the tank and it's transported off the Citadel and back to Palaven."

"Handy," Giger commented. "But the Council won't be happy that she left so soon."

"They'll understand if we say it's an urgent matter," Ytil said. "Besides if this is handled well they may not even notice she's gone."

They arrived at the docks, finding it quiet once again. The docks were only busy during certain hours, the business hours, but for the guards of a diplomat it didn't matter. Giger just needed to find which tank she was in, but Ytil didn't say and he only came to made arrangements for the delivery.

"The tanker has already left, sir," the asari behind the desk said.

"What?" Giger gasped. "Already left? When?"

"Just a few minutes ago," she replied.

Was it already too late? Giger wondered. Had they missed their chance? Vestä was gone and Giger hadn't the chance to tell Faust where she was. He had failed the mission. He left Ytil to 'check' the apartment for any explosives, it gave him the chance to call Faust and explain what had happened.

"Oh, Giger, I hadn't expected you to call so soon," she said.

"Yeah, well... something's gone wrong," he told her.

"What's happened?" she asked.

"Vestä escaped in a cargo tank," he explained. "I almost had her, but-"

She laughed, "Don't worry about Vestä," she said. "I have her."

"What? You do?" he asked. "When...?"

"I'll explain later," she said. "I've got some cleaning up to do first."

...

The tanker was filled with blood, the splattered remains of four guards whose bodies lay scattered across the ground. It was almost like an explosion, the power of a biotic was unrivaled. Vestä cowered in the corner, looking on at the pale-haired human whose features were marred by the blood of those sworn to protect her.

"Er... alright then," Giger said uncertainty and ended the call.

Faust smiled, which was somehow a strange sight. The smiling human covered in blood, it turned Vestä's blood cold. She wondered if she would be killed as her guards had, torn apart by a biotic blast. She didn't even understand how the human managed to sneak on board, first there was a quarian beside her, then the image faded and suddenly there was blood everywhere.

"Can I assume my death will be slow?" Vestä said.

"Only as slow as cutting out a disease from a sick body," Faust replied.

"I'm a disease?" Vestä asked. "Why, because of my dealings on Omega?"

Faust was a little surprised that Vestä had mentioned Omega, did that mean she was aware of who Faust was and why she was here? Of course she did, Vestä had many connections and here was Faust, with no disguise and with plans to kill a turian who had made life on Omega just a little bit worse.

"Omega is not a good place on the best of days," Faust answered. "Our people play the hand they are dealt and when people like you come in, selling faulty equipment and weapon that causes deaths and violence, things get that much worse."

"It's the way of all things, girl," Vestä responded. "There are bad people everywhere."

"True," Faust agreed. "But when Omega is mostly bad people we have to try extra hard to protect the few good people."

"Is that lump of rock really worth so much?" Vesta asked.

"No," Faust answered without a second of hesitation. "But it is my home, filled with my people, and I will do my best to protect it by cutting out one disease at a time."

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

_I don't know what those large cargo tank-things are called, I couldn't find out either. If anyone knows please correct me.  
_


	4. The Red Sands

_I've been gone for awhile, which I blame on my holiday and the release of **The Last of Us**, so I apologize for the delay. Hopefully I'll be back on track with this new update. Again, sorry for the late post :)_

* * *

**Chapter IV: The Red Sands**

_"Good morning, I'm Emily Wong. Our top story today, missing turian diplomat Vestä Kassarian has been found dead along with a crew of bodyguard's mercenaries. There has been no statement from the authorities or the family, but sources claim the body was 'torn in two', possibly by a biotic attack."_

Giger waited in the shuttle bay of the Citadel, listening to the news report that played over the intercom. He was ready to leave and forget about the whole Vestä situation, but because Faust had gone to handle Vestä herself, Giger had been left on the Citadel for three days.

He had spent those three days in _The Goethe_, waiting for any news, but had to cope with radio silence. Finally today she had sent a message, saying she was catching a ride to the Citadel to come get him. He had no idea what she had been doing for those three days, she hadn't really said.

He assumed she had done something to Vestä's body or ship, moved it somewhere or left it drifting. It would explain why the authorities only now discovered the body. He wondered if they had any suspects or if Faust had left any trace of her existence somewhere. No, she was better than that. Aria wouldn't use second-rate assassins.

The bay suddenly grew loud as a large crowd passed through, new arrivals who had come to marvel at the sights of the incredible amazing or settle down and build a life. One human came towards him, skipping as she went, and for a moment he didn't recognize the girl with the curly yellow hair.

"Those damn disguises," he swore. "You scared me for a minute."

Faust just laughed and followed him to _The Goethe_. She asked what he did for those three days, apologized for his being bored, and asked why he didn't do anything.

"I didn't want to be recognized by any of Vestä's allies," he said. "You weren't around to make disguises and I didn't trust myself to do it right, so I stayed in here and watched old vids on my Omni-tool."

"That was actually rather smart," she said. "I never considered Vestä having any remaining allies on the Citadel..."

"Where did you go, anyway?" he asked. "What was so important it took three days?"

"I hacked into Vestä's files and found a lot of her contacts," she replied. "She was on her way to meet one contact, so I handled him and destroyed his merchandise and then sent the names of her Omega contacts to the other Executioner's. I waited for confirmation of their deaths."

"So everything's all sorted?" he asked.

She nodded. "Things on Omega are just that little bit better," she replied.

They arrived at the ship and Faust instantly jumped into her seat. She felt the red velvet material that lined her seat and looked so comfortable, as if she could just fall asleep. Actually judging by the bags under her eyes she could just fall asleep.

"Do you want me to fly back to Omega?" he asked. "You could catch up on sleep."

"Do I look so down-trodden?" she asked.

"Yes," he said.

"Thanks," she laughed.

She turned to the control system, dialing in the new coordinates. She turned back to him.

"The ship can fly itself, but I'll need you to be on call for anything like messages or disruptions," she said.

"No problem," he said. "Go to sleep."

She didn't need to be told twice. She settled in her chair, curling up like a cat, and within minutes she was fast asleep. She probably had few hours' sleep, between taking care of Vestä and then the contacts, she then had to wait for confirmation and he doubted she slept afterwards in case she missed the call.

She sacrificed a lot her job, he wondered just how much.

It wasn't long a long trip back, probably two hours. In that time he managed to clean his crests and watch _Blasto the Jellyfish Stings._ Upon reaching Omega he found no security checks, probably because the Executioners were so secretive they managed to sneak in and out without much fuss. Giger didn't know where to land, thankfully _The Goethe_ did.

It took him past the usual sights and went down a lower level beyond Afterlife, to a part that resembled an underground and very secure parking lot. He glanced at Faust, saw she was still sleeping. Despite his desire to go out he didn't have the heart to wake her.

He would just have to wait.

There was a knock at the shuttle's door. He turned to it, wondering whether to answer, when there was another knock. He got up and opened the door. Standing outside was two girls, a quarian and a salarian. The quarian was like any other, except her uniform was not stitched with fancy patterns, while the salarian had the same strip of purple down her lip and chin as Faust.

He had a feeling these were other Executioners.

The salarian pointed an accusing finger at him. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded. "What are you doing in there?"

"Severa," the quarian said warily. "Don't be rude."

"He's in Faust's ship," Severa said. "What's he doing in there, Meleena?"

"He's Faust's Familiar," Meleena responded calmly.

"Oh," Severa lowered her hand. "Sorry," she apologized to him. "I forgot Faust had picked up a Familiar..."

"Uh..." Giger wasn't sure how to respond. "It's no problem... I know this thing must be weird."

"Yeah, it is weird," Severa agreed. "Faust's never had a Familiar, not like me or Meleena. I have two and Meleena's currently on one, but she used to have three."

"Three?" Giger said. "How did you handle three?"

"Surprisingly easy," Meleena replied. "You've just got to know their personalities."

"I feel I should ask what happened, but it may be touchy," he said.

"Oh, it's not actually," Meleena said. "Two of them were in love, so I gave them permission to leave. They are trustworthy men, if they weren't I would never have let them leave. Besides, the one I have left is more than capable."

"So what's your name?" Severa asked. "I assume Faust explained everything to you beforehand, so don't give us your real name."

"What do you mean?" Giger asked.

"Executioner's and Familiar's never refer to one another by our real names," Meleena explained. "When begin to work for Aria all traces of our past lives are erased - it makes our jobs easier and keeps us safe. Faust sorted your details out the other day, so 'Giger' no longer exists. You can be whoever you want."

That meant Faust's name was an alias, which he sort of expected, but why had she not told him about this little detail? She had erased his identity, his transformation into another being was complete, and yet he didn't want to give up his name.

He chose the name Giger, it was his name and he didn't just want to throw it aside.

Severa and Meleena noticed he had a lot of questions, which meant Faust hadn't explained everything to him. It was just like her to forget the little things and focus on the big things. Meleena squeezed past him and found Faust on the chair. She smiled.

"Let's leave Faust here and have a chat with our new friend," Meleena said.

They closed the shuttle's door in order to give Faust some privacy and led him out of the large underground base via an elevator. It took them up to a private corridor that was bright white and filled with doors. They entered one and came upon a beautiful and furbished apartment.

"All of this is beneath the Afterlife Club?" Giger asked.

"Not quite," Severa replied. "We're connected to the club by tunnels, but we're not directly beneath it."

"Whose place is this?" he asked.

"It's mine," Meleena replied. "But they all look like this, only with a few differences depending on preferences and personal tastes."

"We've brought you here because Faust hasn't explained a lot to you," Severa added. "Not surprising, she would consider this information 'unimportant' but it's best you know."

"Okay," he said. "What do I need to know?"

They took a seat and told him everything he needed to know. All Executioners' were female and biotic, all Familiar's were male. It wasn't considered a 'good idea' to make friends with other Executioner's or Familiars, because Aria didn't want deep bonds to be formed, but it was a rule often ignored.

If friendships were formed then Giger had to accept these friends, but didn't have to like them, just be polite. He was never to ask any Familiar or Executioner their real name or secretly dig up background information, doing so could result in death. He also was not allowed to directly speak to Aria, unless she called for him.

It was just like a hierarchy, which Aria had created and managed to keep hidden for so long. Giger had lived on Omega for years and he had never heard of Executioner's, not even in rumours, and yet for years they had secretly been keeping Omega safe. No one knew, no one thanked them.

"We don't want acknowledgement," Meleena said. "We all grew up on Omega, so we all know how bad it can be. We just want to make things a little better."

Giger wanted to ask Meleena why she had grown up on Omega and how she had developed biotic powers. Biotic quarian's were rare, they were created either by accidental eezo exposure or for military reasons. He wondered under what circumstance this young quarian had fallen into this fate.

Severa's Omni-tool buzzed, but not with the usual ding. It turned blue. Meleena's lit up also, the same blue hue. The apartment's door opened and Faust appeared in the doorway, her Omni-tool humming with the blue light also.

"We'd better go," Meleena said.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Just some business we need to see to," Faust replied. "Stay here and we'll tell you about it when we come back."

He just nodded, allowing them to go about their business. He supposed with them gone he had time to consider what he would now call himself, it was no simple task, because he was going to be stuck with this name forever.

He had to pick carefully.

...

It was unusual to see the Blood Pack obediently following the orders of Aria, especially when they weren't known for playing well with others, but there were moments when they came under her rule. Those moments were usually when a reward was up for offer, and after this particular find they were expecting a big award.

A large crowd had gathered outside of the warehouse in the eastern district, the industrial side of Omega. Despite its reputation Omega did have a thriving industrial section, everything created was either medical or military based. Drugs were often manufactured, but there was one Aria did not allow on Omega.

Red Sand.

Meleena stayed with the crowd, trying to gather information from the crowd, to see what the civilians knew while Faust and Severa walked past the barricade and Blood Pack and walked up to Anto Korragan. There was no need for disguises now, not when everyone knew the pair as Bridget and Solona, Aria's personal messengers.

"I was wondering when you'd arrive," Anto said. "I've got to warn you - it's not a pretty sight."

"What exactly has happened?" Faust asked. "I want to be sure I have detailed account to give Aria."

"It's better if I show you," he said.

He led them inside and they walked into a house of horrors.

It looked like a chop shop, with bloodied floors and walls lined with small, varren-sized cages that they knew must have held people. Sections of the floor had been separated by curtains, where medical tables had been laid out, and where one body had been strapped down.

It may have once been a human, but it looked more like John Carpenter's _The Thing_. The chest had exploded, as if from the inside out, with all the organs sagging out. The eyes were blood shot and leaking red tears. The teeth were tinted red, blood oozed from the ears, veins bulged with a red glow, and despite the horror the person had such a look of euphoria on its face it was disturbing.

Severa quickly examined the medical equipment, noticing the traces of red sand, but if this was a red sand experiment then what had they done to the formula that resulted in such horrors?

"Explain, quickly, what happened and if anyone has been apprehended," Faust ordered.

"The Blood Pack got a tip that someone was manufacturing red sand," Anto explained. "They got here quickly, knowing the reward goes up with each person captured, but when they got here they found this. Each of the four scientists are alive, their two guards died in the crossfire, and sixty people were found in the cages."

"Sixty?" Severa said. "How did they get away with experimenting on so many people?"

"Some are addicts, some are homeless," Anto said. "Some are... children of addicts with a lot of debt."

"Where are they now?" Severa asked.

"They've all been taken to the hospital," Anto replied. "But the doctor's said there's a lot of internal damage, most of them may not make it and if they do there's a lot of long-term damage."

"What about the ring leader?" Faust asked. "I suppose he got away?"

"He wasn't here," Anto replied. "The scientists talked pretty quickly, so we have some information but not enough. The boss talks to them though a drell, but they've never actually seen him or her. The drell does most of the work. Unfortunately, today, this drell wasn't here and they don't know his name."

"Right, we'll go inform Aria," Faust said. "I hope you catch this guy."

Anto just grunted, his first real sign of annoyance. He knew most of Aria's secrets, as she knew all of his, and he knew Aria had someone who saw to these kind of private matters. He had never been able to gather information about this someone or group. People who asked those kind of questions disappear.

And he liked his position too much to be something so foolish.

...

The three Executioner's returned about an hour and a half later, much longer than Giger had expected. They quickly explained what they had seen and what had happened, and slowly Giger realized this was his next assignment. After visiting the warehouse they had spoken with Aria and she had handed this task to Faust.

As Meleena had put it, Aria was aware of Faust's capabilities - but she needed to know if she could trust Giger and his skills. He had a feeling this life was going to be very difficult, with very rare moments of peace. He was glad Faust had those two hours of sleep, it wasn't much but it should be enough to keep her head clear for this particular case.

"We'll head off soon," Faust said, "I know how we can track this bastard down."

"Wait, I want to know if Giger's chosen his new name," Severa said.

"Yes, I want to know too," Meleena said.

They turned to him expectantly. He felt uncomfortable, not used to so many women staring at him, and he answered while looking away.

"I'm sticking to my own name," he said. "I know I shouldn't, because of the identity thing, but it's my name. I chose it, it means a lot."

Severa and Meleena looked a little surprised and tried to argue, offering him new names that they thought would suit him. Faust smiled to herself. She had known he would keep his own name, it's why she had never told him about the name change.

"Now that we've sorted that, let's go," she said. "I've got to paint your crests."

"Again?" he said.

"Yes, again," she said. "Come on."

They left, moving over to Faust's apartment, and Meleena smiled. Severa noticed, she had known her long enough make out the little intricacies of her friend's body language.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked.

"I just think they make a good couple," Meleena said.

...

Giger was painted orange, his name was Rench, and he was moving into a part of Omega he knew well. The Slum's, found deep within the structure of Omega, old mining tunnels that had been abandoned and taken by the homeless and the addicts and the wanted. Faust had put on a blonde wig, her lips pink and she had brought a back pack along. She didn't tell him what was inside and he didn't ask.

For a short time Giger had lived here in the Slum's, he had come here when Steel left and Giger didn't know what to do with his life. He was only in the Slum's for a week, but in that time he had planned his revenge and promised to never again return to the Slum's. He glanced at Faust's straight blonde hair.

He thought blonde rather suited her. He decided to keep that to himself.

"Why are we here?" Giger asked.

They stopped at the entrance to the Slum's, a large metal door with graffiti covering its frame and a flaming metal barrel by the side. Giger recognized some of the graffiti gang tags, he had been part of one or two in his younger days.

"I told you, I think I know how to track the bastard down," she said. "That drell, or possibly someone else, must have come here to pick up the victims. Someone will know something."

"This place isn't going to be a walk in the park," Giger said. "It's dangerous-"

"I know," she said. "I lived here once. I know these people."

He was a little surprised by this announcement, but he should have expected something like that. Executioner's were girl's with biotic potential, was it such a surprise they had come from such terrible areas? It made sense to take girls with no family, no attachments to anyone else and loyalty only to the one who had saved them.

"As long as you know what you're doing," he said.

"I always know what I'm doing," she retorted.

She opened the door, dragging it out of the way, and entered the narrow and poorly tunnel. Past the tunnel was the first campsite, but Faust ignored them and moved on, moving onto another tunnel and navigating her way deeper into the mines until she came to one small camp with only two tents and one flaming barrel. It was like this camp had been hidden away, it was in such a narrow crevice Giger almost didn't notice them.

There was four of them - a human female, a male batarian and two male turian's. The woman may have once been beautiful, her features almost seemed refined, yet her hair was dry and unkempt and knotty and her eyes sagged because of the heavy, dark bags. She was unhealthy, clear by the jutting bones that poked at her flesh. The batarian was familiar, perhaps he was wanted by Aria judging by his suspicious twitching, while the two turian's had broken fringes and bandaged knuckles - street fighters.

"Hey, Charlotte," the batarian called. "It's been awhile since we saw you."

Faust sat by them, exchanging pleasantries. Giger sat behind her, cautiously, wary of these strangers. He had no weapons on him, Faust hadn't let him take any. She must trust these people enough, or knew they were no match against a biotic.

"How have you guys been holding up?" Faust asked.

"It's been worse," one turian said.

"Yeah, we won a match yesterday," the other turian said. "Managed to get some food."

"That's great," Faust said. "You know what? I can get you more food, I just need a favour."

"Whatever you need," the woman said.

"A lot of people went missing," Faust said. "Apparently a drell managed to convince them to go with him and now these people may die. I want to know if you've seen a drell, anyone new."

"Didn't a drell talk to you last week, Marilyn?" the batarian asked the woman.

"Yeah," Marilyn said, "he said there was some people working on a new red sand formula and that I could try it. I said no, because I remembered your advice. I'm not going to touch the stuff again."

"Good," Faust smiled. "Can you tell me anything else about this drell?"

"He had pale skin, like a watery brown colour," the one turian said. "I don't think he was very well, he was wheezing a lot."

"Maybe he has Kepral's Syndrome?" the other turian said.

Faust nodded once, absorbing the information. She handed them the bag, which the batarian took and opened, revealing it was full of cans of food.

"Whoa!" the turian said. "Thanks, Charlotte!"

"No problem, Kish," she said. "But share with Kron, he could use the extra weight."

Kron smirked at his brother. Giger saw now the turian's were twin's and wondered how exactly such young boys had fallen so far in the world. Faust and Giger left and he followed her out of the Slum's and back to the surface. Upon reaching the surface Faust checked her Omni-tool, looking for all the registered and unregistered drell on Omega.

Drell weren't common on Omega, they did their best to avoid this place. She soon got a hit and they hailed a cab, heading towards the estates, a large area of apartments just beyond the industrial states. It would make sense he would be close to where his master arranged such painful deaths.

"Those people... how do you know them?" Giger asked.

"Krish and Kron are good kids," Faust replied. "I've broken up a few fights that they were responsible for, but they just love fighting because they're good at it. Jon, the batarian, pissed Aria off some years back and he's been hiding ever since. I can't remember what he did, but it must be pretty bad considering he's still hiding."

"And Marilyn?" he asked.

Faust hesitated for a moment, then answered in a quiet voice. "I knew her brother."

He decided not to ask again, it seemed a sensitive subject. He focused back on the mission.

"So this drell, you know who he is?" he asked.

She nodded. "On average there are only ten drell on Omega at any one time," she said. "Of those ten, nine leave because they are still under the Compact, but this one drell has been on Omega for almost ten years. His name is Arg and he does have Kepral's Syndrome. He's our best bet."

"Then let's get him," Giger said. "The sooner we get him, the sooner we get his master."

Faust smirked. "It seems you're starting to understand your role."

_To Be Continued..._


	5. Necessary Evil

**Chapter V: Necessary Evil**

The apartments were an eyesore.

The old block was once part of Aria's plan to build something new, a new club or something, to bring some light to the dull place and more income for her. Aria's plan failed and it was abandoned, no one remembered what she was going to build, not even Faust could say what Aria had intended. Whatever it was supposed to be, the plans were thrown out when the tenants refused to move.

They protested for a better half of a year and Aria decided to focus elsewhere, instead of upsetting her people further. The estate had been renamed _'Defiance'_, because of that one act of boldness which was still spoken of today. Most of those tenants were dead now or new ones had moved in, but still, they talked of that year of protest.

It seemed fitting that the drell they searched for was here, helping to conceive the very drug Aria so despised.

Giger wondered why Aria hated red sand, of all the drugs, why this one in particular? Maybe he should ask Faust, or maybe not. While he didn't doubt she had the information he doubted she would share it with him. Aria had plucked Faust up from the streets and given her purpose.

She wouldn't so easily betray Aria.

The cab dropped them off just outside the estate's entrance and they entered, heading up to the third floor. Each floor was piled atop one another, in some ways resembling a huge motel complex more than an apartment block, with a view of the opposite end arm of the square-shaped estate. It was quiet, dank and dirty and the rails of the balcony were rusted and broken. It was not the worst place Faust had been too.

They found the apartment, the door firmly locked, which was a good sign. Good locks generally meant there was something to hide, one with a specific sequence or code meant a very clever individual was hiding there. There was no guarantee the drell was here, he may be gone, but that didn't mean they couldn't set a trap.

"Should I kick the door down?" he asked.

"We're going to be a little bit more subtle than that," she replied.

She activated her Omni-tool and addressed the lock. Within moments she had hacked into the system and had the door open. A little too easy, in fact. The door slid open, revealing the dark corridor before them. Faust clicked her fingers, creating a small orb of biotic energy.

The orb flew forwards, illuminating the apartment. She stepped forwards and then suddenly quickly stopped. She pointed to the ground, where a barely visible wire was strung up and connected to two fairly large metal plates. Giger looked past her, spotting the wire.

"Do you recognize this kind of trap?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, "it's a bomb trap. The Blood Pack use it for marking territory, whoever crosses it loses a limb - if they're lucky."

"Our friend is well prepared," she remarked. "It seems more and more likely that he is our man. Only a wanted, or very valuable, individual set's traps."

They stepped over the wire and entered the apartment, closing the door behind them. They knew it was unlikely Arg was home, if he was he would have heard the door open. It was more likely that he was aware that his apartment had been broken into, probably through a security system app in his Omni-tool, so will avoid it for the rest of the day.

"Watch for traps," she ordered, "and try to find anything that can help us."

He nodded obediently and headed into the bedroom. The lights automatically came on and he found a room that looked like it had not been used in years. Everything was dusty, except for the pill bottles that had piled up. Some were empty, others half full. If Arg was aware of what was happening, then he couldn't avoid this place for long without his medication.

Strangely enough, men with illnesses scared Giger the most, because with so little time left in this world they had nothing left to lose.

He searched the wardrobe, checking for anymore wires as he went. There was nothing inside beside a few old clothes, no hidden compartments. He checked under the bed and then decided an old trick that had worked once before. He cut a small slot into the side of the mattress, searching for anything inside, and finding... something.

He pulled out an old file, actual slips of paper contained within a brown folder. Giger had never seen paper, everything was computer based. Even ancient documents had a virtual copy in case anything ever happened to the original.

He reached into the mattress again, finding blank paper and ink and pens. Arg was indeed clever. Anyone's Omni-tool could be hacked with the right tools, even Aria was not safe, which was why she never saved any important information to her Omni-tool and it seemed Arg was following her example by writing everything down.

If anyone tried to hack his system then they would be led on a wild goose chase. People would be searching for virtual files that did not exist, buying him the time necessary to make his escape or continue with his master's work. He had little time left and he was using it well.

Giger took the file with him and found Faust in the living room. He showed her the file, which she quickly examined. After a moment she pulled a face and crossed her arms in annoyance.

"I can't read it..." she huffed. "It's written in the language of the drell, a language so unresearched that I don't even know what it's called or how to translate it."

"It could be anything or nothing," Giger said. "Is there nothing you can do?"

She considered it, knowing there _was_ someone who could help. The problem was, Faust wasn't allowed to approach her. She had broken that rule before and had been punished for it, but maybe because this related to her assignment Aria may just let it slide.

"There's someone who can maybe help," she replied. "We need to hurry, though, I can't guarantee her location."

Faust tucked the files into the inside of her jacket and they headed to the exit, but stopped at the sight of the open doorway. Light flooded in from the open door and a tall shadow fell across the ground, the shadow of an angry drell wielding a gun.

"Arg, I presume?" Faust smiled. "Sorry about breaking in, we just had some questions about a red sand's formula."

"Stay out of my way," Arg ordered. "My work must be completed."

"Your work?" she said. "So you are the messenger _and_ the master... something you really shouldn't have told us."

"It doesn't matter," he said. "You'll be dead soon."

He turned and ran, firing at the wired bomb as he went. It exploded like a blossoming fiery red flower that continued to grow until it filled the room. It shook the floor and ripped up the ground, and all throughout the estate people felt the rumble. It ate through memento's and the walls, destroying everything in its fury.

The fire died down soon enough and the apartment was filled with a thick cloud of smoke. The floor was scorched, the ceiling crumbling, except for one spot in particular where a blue light could be seen. Faust lowered her biotic shield, the ground beneath her feet still clean, and Giger glared at her.

"What?" she asked.

"You saved my life," he said, "that's _two_ life debts I owe you."

"You'll pay them back soon enough," she said. "Now come on, before Aria's men show up."

They quickly left, just as neighbours came to examine the cause of the explosion. They hailed another cab, passing Anto and his men on the way. Giger was surprised at how fast Aria's men reacted to any situation. He watched the estate fade away as they flew further away and he damned his slow reactions.

He could have saved her, maybe, if he had acted fast enough. No, it was foolish to think he could have done anything in that time. He wasn't biotic, or particularly smart. Faust had keen senses and quick reaction, she didn't need him around.

It made him want to leave her grasp even quicker. He didn't want to feel so useless, so impotent. Why had she insisted on having him? It was never wise to look down on second chances, but thus far he had done nothing to help her. He might as well not be there.

"So who are we looking for now?" he asked.

There was a pause, like Faust wasn't sure this was a good idea, and it wasn't. There was one particular rule regarding Executioner's Faust knew Meleena and Severa had not told Giger, because no Familiar knew it as there had never been a need to tell them.

Now was different because they had no choice. There was only one person who could help and Faust would just have to face the consequence of her disobedience.

"We're going to find Kaera," she replied. "The Number One Executioner."

...

They came to the party district of Omega, while Afterlife was the place to be if one wanted to be seen among the VIPs, not everyone was guaranteed a place inside and for those who could not get in Afterlife there was always the Nine Hells Party Strip.

This was not the place Giger had expected to find the Number One Executioner.

The cab had come down low, going over the bright and throbbing lights of the strip, passing the thick bustling crowds of people. In the windows were dancers and prostitutes, in the stalls cheap drinks and drugs. If Aria's place was Afterlife, then this place was certainly hell.

"This rule, why did Meleena and Severa not tell me about it?" he asked.

"There was no need to," she replied. "Executioner's between three and thirteen are well known, while you shouldn't necessarily talk to them you will see them around. One and Two are... different. I don't even know what they do exactly, they're work is so very secretive, as is their identities. We're not allowed to interact with them, otherwise it may put their work in jeopardy."

"We don't necessarily have a choice," he observed. "If Kaera can help us-"

"That's what I was thinking," she replied. "Let's just hope she'll help."

They landed in an alley way and she led him across the busy streets to a fast-food restaurant that had converted the top floor to apartments. They went around the back, where a set of old metal stairs led up to an open door. Up the stairs and through the door and they came to the apartments.

"I wish I could have changed my wig," Faust muttered.

She went to Room 6 and knocked four times, paused and then knocked a fifth time. Almost immediately the door opened and a human woman appeared in the doorway. She was around Faust's age, with long dark hair held in two plaits that fell over her shoulders. Down her lip and to her chin was a strip of purple, just like Aria.

She glared at the sight of Faust.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. "When Aria finds out-"

"Threaten me later," Faust said. "I don't have time. I need Kaera's help. Please, Pepper, let me see her."

"No," Pepper said. "Your problem, you sort it out."

"You're endangering the lives of the people of Omega!" Faust cried. "Now you either let me see Kaera or I'm going to go through you!"

Pepper laughed, "I'd like to see you try, you stupid little girl."

Pepper clenched her fists and the air seemed to grow hot and warp as she summoned her biotic powers. Faust grimaced, but stood her ground, trying to summon her own powers and knowing she was not even a shadow of the strength of Pepper.

A voice cried out from the apartment, "Pepper!" and the fire died within Pepper's eyes. Faust slowly killed her own ire, though kept a safe distance from the other human. Pepper swore under her breath and stepped aside, allowing Faust and Giger to step forwards.

"Know that Aria _will_ know of this," she said.

"I'm saving the lives of her subjects," Faust remarked. "I'm sure Aria can forgive me on this matter."

Faust and Giger stepped through and into the living room, where a female drell of smooth azure skin stood waiting for them. She too had the same mark on her face as Pepper and Faust, she was the Number One Executioner, and Giger could see the difference in power in just the way she carried herself.

"Faust, you certainly are a troublemaker," Kaera smiled. "I do hope this is important, if it isn't I will have to tell Aria, and I don't want too."

"It _is_ important," Faust insisted, "I can assure you that."

She reached into her jacket and pulled out the file and passed it to Kaera. The drell took no time in opening and reading the files, within five minutes she had seen what she needed and passed the file back. The look on her face was enough of an indicator of what terrible secrets were contained within.

"Aria's got you doing something important," Kaera said. "Ignoring the fact it's a red sand's case, this is potentially one of the worst new drugs facing Omega."

"What can you tell us?" Faust said. "Is there anything in there that can help us?"

"Does this... Arg... know you took this?" Kaera asked.

"No," Faust replied. "I had it hidden, but he _does_ know a woman with fabulous blonde hair and her krogan friend are looking for him. He either thinks the files were destroyed when he tried to blow us up or that we're tracking him now. Most likely both."

"So either way he's gone underground," Kaera said. "Good, that will play to your advantage. He has a base, only one, hidden away in the industrial district. The coordinates are written down, easy to follow. I would go - now."

"Is there nothing else?" Faust asked.

"Nothing else you need to know," Kaera retorted. "I will send you the coordinates to save time. Go now, before he gets away. I will keep the rest of the files, to show them to Aria and explain your actions. You did the right thing, coming to me."

Faust managed a small smile and she quickly left, Giger doing his best to keep up. They returned to the cab and Giger took the controls, allowing Faust to see to her Omni-tool as Kaera sent her a translation of the coordinates.

"I can't believe his hidden base is in the industrial district," Faust said. "It's so close to his home and to his original lab, why wouldn't he go farther away?"

"Maybe he can't," Giger said. "The guy is sick and it's too much of a risk to have everything so far away. With it all together he can work much quicker."

"Hmm," Faust hummed.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Kaera just sent me something, an extract from his notes," she replied. "It explains why he's doing all this, but there's one line that stands out. It just... shit, it makes my blood boil."

"What does it say?" he asked.

She sighed and showed him the high-lighted line: **NECESSARY EVIL**. All those people, those children with no future, all of them died in such brutal and horrific ways and there was no doubt the early experiments were probably far worse.

And the only thing Arg could say was that it was 'necessary evil'? No, necessary evil did not exist. There was evil and there was good, both were forces acted out because of free will and not because they were necessary or required. They were done because a person existed to do such acts.

"He's one of _those_ kinds of pyscho's," he said.

"Yes," she agreed. "Let's kill him."

...

It didn't take long to return to the industrial estate and seek out the warehouse where the base was hidden. They parked opposite, hiding the vehicle behind another building, and stepped out into the dark. Faust wasn't sure how stealthy such a huge krogan could be, but he assured her he was capable and a fast-learner.

They used the shadows, making it around to the building, and stopped. Faust scanned the building, immediately finding eighteen cameras on the outside and twenty-five on the inside and an alarm on both entrances, including the skyline. She had them shut down within seconds.

They proceeded, entering through the back, and came to an empty room with a large metal plate on the floor. She checked it, noticing the way the dust heavily set in one corner. This entrance was supposed to be covered, in his rush Arg had made a mistake.

She checked it for bugs, alarms, anything. There was nothing.

"Can I bust this open?" he asked.

She passed him an item, a grenade. He looked at it, dumbfounded. Earlier she had argued for a subtle entrance, where was that now? And how long had she been carrying this around? Never mind, he didn't see Faust as necessarily being 'right in the head' and he shouldn't be surprised by the fact she was carrying something so dangerous.

"You sure?" he asked. "I was just going to open the doorway, not blow it up!"

"It's fine," she said. "He can't escape."

"How can you be so sure?" he said.

"Because this is the end, and he knows it," she said.

She was the boss; he might as well trust her.

They took a step back and he pulled the ping and threw the grenade. It exploded as soon as it landed, tearing open the door with a ferocious roar that shook the entire building. It wasn't subtle and in any other place it would attract the wrong kind of attention - thankfully in an area that designs explosives something like this would go unnoticed.

The dust cleared and they jumped into the hole, finding themselves in a dark passage with light at the end of the tunnel. Faust found it rather fitting. Faust passed Giger a gun, this one concealed within her boot, and they walked towards the light. At least he wasn't left defenseless.

They entered a small chamber, something like a hospital room, and found Arg lying on the bed and hooked up to a series of machines. An asari nurse stood beside him, a gun drawn on them. Giger aimed at her, knowing no matter who fired first it was likely the nurse would be the first to go.

Arg coughed violently and sat up, pulling the multitude of wires with him.

"My, you don't look long for this world," Faust said. "It explains why you was so reckless, keeping your home so close to your base and lab. Nothing left to live for and all that crap."

"You could never understand," he said. "You're a biotic, I can tell by the superiority in your voice."

"Or can you tell because we survived that explosion?" Faust retorted. "Biotic's aren't superior. We're like people with talents, some have them and some don't. You wanting that kind of power is no excuse for all the lives you've taken."

"You consider drug users and street urchins 'people' like you and me?" Arg asked. "They have no quality of life. They squandered it, abused this life, which is why they were perfect for my experiments."

"Red sand _is_ known for its short-term telekinetic enhancing abilities," Faust observed. "It was perfect for trying to design something that could fully replicate actual biotic abilities, which I'm not saying is a bad idea. Being biotic is useful, I'll admit, but never should people have to suffer in order to reach that goal."

"You could never understand!" the asari cried. "My sisters' had biotic powers, but mine never developed! Can you imagine that feeling of powerlessness?"

"Yes," Giger said. "I'm not a biotic, in certain situations I'm no use to anyone. But I have to agree with the human - I would never sacrifice the lives of others for my own personal gain."

"They _did_ die terribly," Arg told them. "The drug was having unusual side-effects, such as heightened feelings of euphoria as the biotic fields began to grow _inside_ of them, leading to the combustion of organs. They died, but most felt no pain."

Faust glared at him, the first real hint of anger Giger had seen. She had lost her temper with Pepper, but this was different, this was the rage the reaper feels at seeing wrong-doers escape justice. She concealed her rage quickly, but Giger had seen it and felt the same way.

Both had to die and judging by the look she gave him he didn't need her permission.

He fired, struck the asari between her eyes, and she collapsed to the ground. Arg reached behind his pillow for his gun. Faust fired a biotic field, catching his hand and pinning it to the wall. She strolled over, her one hand throbbing with power. Arg watched her, terrified and a little aroused by her power.

"You know what would be _really_ mean?" she said. "If I killed you, slowly, using my powers. But you know what? No, because I think on some subconscious level you'd like it. So instead I will kill you, slowly, and without touching you."

She reached over to the wires hooked into him, the only thing that was really keeping him alive at this point. The drugs had stopped working, he couldn't breathe on his own, even this asari he must have had with him for so long had failed to keep him alive. The only thing stopping the reaper was technology.

She pulled the wires and the machines whined. Arg's eyes went wide and he gasped loudly, trying to breathe in. She took his gun and released his hand. He flopped onto the bed, trying to breathe and trying to cry out. It was like watching a fish on dry land, only she had more sympathy for a fish.

Faust turned away, heading back to the exit.

"What do we do with the bodies?" Giger asked.

She looked at him, a dead look in her eyes, and said, "Erase them from existence."

...

The fire that had mysteriously started at the abandoned warehouse had burned through everything and left nothing, by the time the fire department had the fire under control and gone inside to run an inspection, the already weakened floor had crushed what remained beneath.

They deemed the area a hazard and if the bodies of Arg and the nurse were ever discovered no one will care or search for the truth, because no one knew they were there. As pitiful as it sounded, Faust was terribly afraid of fading without a trace just as they had.

It was within her job description, to come and go without leaving a trace, and when she dies it will be as the previous Thirteenth Executioner died - silently and alone. She had been reminded of that terrible fate that day, as she sat across the way and watched the building burn, Giger beside her.

"I could go for a cigarette right now," she said. "Not to smoke, I've never smoked, I just stick it in my mouth and keep it there. It keeps me grounded, reminds me I'm part of reality and not just viewing it from afar."

"... Does it get _that_ bad?" he asked. "I've seen a lot of nasty shit in my life, but this stuff... I can't compare it to anything. I've never felt so bad I become disconnected from everything."

"It gets easier, sort of," she said. "I remember back when I first joined the Executioner's, Kaera told me _'truth is the path to our answers'_. Aria expanded on that later, saying as long as I know the truth of life then I must exist, because through truth do we understand ourselves and if I didn't exist I couldn't really grasp that concept of life, could I?"

"Is that what you're afraid of?" he said. "Of all things, not knowing answers and not existing?"

"Yes," she almost laughed. "To the people of Omega I don't exist, nor do my allies. How do I know we're even real? Maybe we _are_ just Aria's weapons."

She stood, deciding it was best to move before they were spotted. Even now after all these years she feared her own morality and her own truth, she wasn't even sure if she understood what Kaera and Aria told her. Maybe it had been a lie, or maybe it was how Kaera coped.

Giger stood and made his way off the room. Faust paused, feeling as though she had to establish her personality. She pulled up the sleeve of her jacket, wiping away a layer of make-up, and read the phrase she had come to live by, her own anthem for the nation of Faust.

It helped, oddly enough, and she followed Giger away from the fire and ash and into a new day, thinking and wondering the meaning of her existence. Would Giger eventually come to question his life? She hoped not, she wanted him to help her answer her own questions.

_Vi veri veniversum vivus vici._

_To Be Continued..._


	6. Midnight's Delight

**Chapter VI: Midnight's Delight**

It had been a week since Giger had done any work for Aria and for the first time in a long time he felt normal. He had not felt this way since he was child, those sweet days when he played with Steel and trained with their adoptive father, a man worth his weight in any material.

In that week he had done things he hadn't done in a while - he went out for a drink, went shopping for something other than ammo and armour, he went to the restaurants and found his new favourite food bar, and had a lazy day - _a lazy day!_

He had not had a lazy day since... he had never had a lazy day ever.

He was almost half-tempted to fake his death again and continue living this blissful life, because soon the bubble was going to burst. Aria was going to give them a new job and he was going to have to look for two opportunities to save Faust's life, only then could this peaceful life been his.

He had been careful not to become attached to Faust or Meleena and Severa, but it was becoming very difficult. He always had a soft spot for quarians and Meleena was very sweet, while Severa and Faust were his kind of women - capable and opinionated and loud.

He found himself spending his time with these girls, often feeling rather smug after he began to notice the jealous looks he was receiving while travelling with this group of very attractive females. He tried to push them away and it wasn't easy, not when he worked with Faust (and was temporary living with her) and lived next door to Meleena and Severa.

He decided to spend that day alone, maybe having time away from them would help, give him the time to figure out the best way to push them away that wouldn't affect his work. He went to something called a 'noodle bar' in the market place, just one of many Earth trends that had become popular.

The food was delicious, he particularly liked the spicy choice of noodles and something called 'chicken'. The owner of the bar, Ken, was what others called an 'agony aunt'. A term Giger didn't understand, but knew it had something to do with Ken talking too much and asking to listen to the problem of others.

It was a strange concept, krogan weren't raised to understand problems or care for them or to listen to the problems of others. Yet Ken insisted. Humans were certainly strange.

"Where are those girls?" Ken asked. "Did you have a fight with them?"

"Nothing like that," Giger said. "I just... needed time away."

"Oh, why does that sound bad?" Ken said.

Ken saw to a customer, took the order and poured them a bowl of steaming hot Chinese Chow Mein. Giger ordered the 'Surprise Choice', which was a random choice of flavour given to the customer, and today Giger was glad it was Cajun chicken. The last choice, lime shrimp, made him sick.

"It's more complicated than anything," Giger explained. "I can't really say why. I'm just trying to... distance myself. I don't want to get attached to these girls when I want to leave Omega soon."

Giger noted that he had become very open about his feelings and situations and relationships, was it because of all the time he had been spending with girls? Or maybe it was more to do with Ken's influence. He had never known Faust to be particularly open, which was fine with him.

"How soon?" Ken asked.

"As soon as possible," Giger said.

"If I was you I wouldn't be so quick as to toss those girl's aside," Ken said. "I get it, wanting to not get attached when you have plans to leave, but Omega is the kind of place where having friends can really help. Even if it is for a short time, they may help you in more than a few ways."

Giger considered that, while he couldn't think of any long-term benefits there were probably many. The sign besides the stall suddenly lit up, it was one of those new holographic billboards which had become very popular in recent years. It would randomly show a projection advertising a company or club every hour.

This one was of two women - one asari, the other human - back to back, wearing scantily-clad clothing as the background lit up with the word's 'Mightnight's Delight'. The women moved, blowing kisses and moving erotically, before the hologram vanished and an advert for the club appeared on screen.

"That's new..." Giger observed.

"Yeah, some volus paid a lot to get the hologram set up," Ken replied. "The club's opening this week and apparently our own Pirate Queen will be there for the opening. To have Aria attend must mean this volus has high hopes for the place."

"So... it's another strip joint?" Giger asked.

"Sort of," Ken said. "It's opening up on the higher levels and has a variety of... 'dance' forms, so it's a little classier than most places."

"Might be worth a look," Giger said.

His Omni-tool buzzed and lit up, flashing a message from Faust which was marked as **URGENT**. He pulled a face which Ken only laughed at. He had seen that look before, quite often actually, as Faust liked to call him over to discuss various things, mostly political, which he didn't care about.

He understood the politics of Omega was complicated and it would help to learn a few names, but he had never cared before and he was in no mood to start now. All he needed was to remember a face, nothing more. He had accomplished many Blood Pack jobs by just knowing the face of his target.

"It looks important, pay me next time," he said.

Giger smiled his thanks and wolfed down his noodles. He jumped from his seat and headed up to where Faust had asked to meet. He travelled up to the upper levels, which was not an easy task, considering only one very specific cab service would take you and it was very expensive.

The upper levels of Omega, situated just above the Afterlife Club, was filled with stores of high-priced goods. People who lived here were often considered snobs, because of how they looked down on those from the lower levels, even though there was really no difference between them. Those on the upper levels were just those who had managed to make their money in the underworld.

He found her stood beside a railing, looking down at the lower levels and Afterlife itself. She was dressed a little more casually, with plain trousers and a white shirt. Even with the colour of her hair, she still perfectly blended in with the colourful crowd of Omega.

"What's up?" he asked. "What's so urgent we have to meet in public?"

Faust turned to him and simply pointed to across the street. He followed her direction and saw she was directing his attention to a new club, with bright flashing pink and purple lights and decorated with dancing women concealed in glass bubbles by the front entrance. A line had grown, waiting for the unveiling of the new club.

Midnight's Delight.

"Oh, that's the new strip joint," he said. "Aria's supposed to be here for the grand opening, right?"

"So I heard," she replied.

"Then what's the problem?" Giger asked. "She's going to have plenty of security; we don't need to keep an eye on her."

"I know," she said.

"Then why are we here?" he asked.

"The volus who runs the place, I don't know him," she said.

"Really? _You_, don't know him?" he said.

She nodded miserably. "Knowledge is power and right now I feel pretty powerless," she replied. "So go."

"Go?" he said.

"Go and investigate," she ordered.

"Investigate a... strip club?" he asked.

"Yes, must I repeat myself?" she said. "Go and tell me later if anything looks suspicious."

"No problem," he said. "This is an order I will be more than happy to follow."

"Before you go," she said, "take this."

She reached into her jacket and pulled out a wooden bracelet, carved inside were the words _Vi veri veniversum vivus vici_. She passed it to him and he pulled a face. She didn't seriously want him to wear this? This was something females wore, not males, and certainly not male krogan.

"It's a gift, don't be rude," she said. "Just keep it on you if you won't wear it."

"Alright," he said. "I'll... report back later if I find anything."

"Have fun," she said.

He just nodded, trying to hide his pleasure, and joined the long cue.

She smiled at his enthusiasm, knowing something like this was probably a welcome break. They often did not get days off in this line of work, her week off had cost Kaera and the Number Three, Eight, Ten and Eleven Executioner's to work even harder, especially considering the Number Seven, Nine and Twelve Executioner were off planet while the Number Five had died recently.

The most time she had ever gotten off was a month in a whole year, and it had been a very good month. She knew his previous life as a mercenary was just as busy, except back then he got to pick and choose his jobs and could decide where to go and when and when he wanted to take time off.

She headed back towards the apartments, calling Meleena.

"How does the new club look?" Meleena asked.

"Not as bad as some of the others I've seen," she replied. "It actually looks decent."

"And you sent Giger?" Meleena asked.

"Yeah," Faust said. "He's going to look for anything 'suspicious', which he won't do, because the girls will be too much of a distraction. And that was my plan. Severa and Number Three and Eight Executioner are watching Aria now, so she is well protected."

"I hate calling them Number Three and Eight," Meleena sighed. "I wish I had something to call them by, something at least resembling a name."

"We've never met them," Faust said. "I've only met Twelve and Seven once - they didn't even look at me. They've all created their own little groups, just like ours."

"I suppose..." Meleena said. "On to a happier note, come over later. I don't know when I'm going to be shipped off to some other world or some hole for Aria. I love the woman, but..."

"I totally agree," Faust smiled. "I'll see you later."

"Until then," Meleena said cheerfully.

Faust glanced back at the club, wondering who this volus was. While she did want Giger to have a good time, there was no denying the curiosity she felt. She still had time before she would meet up with Meleena, she might as well spend it doing what she did best - snooping.

...

For every two who left the cue, five more joined, and though the line looked daunting it moved quickly enough. Soon Giger was inside the club and entered the main hall, which had five doors leading to five different areas with different styled dancers, depending on taste. For example, one room was labelled 'Earth Style' and featured burlesque and other such styles.

He decided to give the burlesque room a chance and was not disappointed. A variety of races came out, all wearing extravagant outfits that were sometimes silly and mostly sexual. Even the dancing varied, though he quickly learned burlesque meant much freedom, from sensual to just simple laughs.

He did try his best to look for anything suspicious, honest, but there was so many women doing so many things it was hard enough to concentrate on just the one dancer. A woman came around serving drinks and even with all that was happening, all the bodies in the way, she seemed oddly out of place.

She was dressed finely, in a crimson corset and a short frilled dress with feather-like flairs, and she was rather shapely. Yet her face showed signs of stress and her hair had paled until it was almost like straw and brittle. She may have once been beautiful, but it had been worn away.

"Marilyn?"

She turned when she heard her name, but showed no recognition when she saw his face. Of course she didn't, he had met her when he was under a different name, a different face. He should have left it, allowed her to carry on, but maybe this was something Faust would want to know and she could have information.

"Do I... know you?" she asked.

"Sort of," he replied. "I'm a friend of Charlotte and Rench. They told me about you."

"Really?" she said. "I never thought she would talk about me. I didn't think I was important..."

"She said you was a really nice woman," he said. "She'd like to see you get out of the Slums."

"I'm getting there," she replied. "I don't have the looks for a dancer, not anymore, but I can serve drinks and smile."

"The guy who runs this place, is he nice?" he asked.

"Yeah!" she said. "He's taken really good care of the girls here, no matter where they're from. He's pretty wealthy too, you can tell by looking at this place! If only I could remember his name, it was something strange... ah! Vinnorus Vestacious, that's his name."

_Vinnorus Vestacious?_ he thought. _That's a fake name if I ever heard one._

"Good luck," Giger said. "I hope things work out."

"Thanks," she said. "Please ask Charlotte to come visit. I... I don't see a lot of people anymore."

"I will, don't worry," he said.

She smiled and hurried along, deciding not to keep anyone waiting. Giger looked back at the girls and suddenly found it very difficult. He was glad to see Marilyn had managed to move out of the Slums, seeing people move out of such places was refreshing, but something about the name Vinnorus Vestacious bothered him.

He had to tell Faust, this was something she needed to know.

...

He returned to the apartment and found Faust already there, preparing to leave. It seemed he had caught her on the way out. She smiled at him, though she seemed surprised he had come back so soon. She had expected him to return in another hour, if he was back now then he must have found something, which she definitely did not expect.

"Where are you off to?" he asked.

"Meleena asked me to call over," she replied. "I've just come back from some... erm..."

"Spying?" he said.

"Sort of," she replied. "I like to keep track of certain individuals, knowing where they are somewhat assures me they are well."

He frowned, not expecting those words to come from her mouth. She was watching someone in order to ensure they were well? He compared it to her relationship with Charlotte, which meant there must be other people she cares about. Considering her line of work, it was best if she remained distant, only then could their safety be insured.

Since they were on the topic, he told her about his encounter with Marilyn. Faust listened carefully, noting the name of the volus, then spoke after a long pause.

"It's nice to know she's working," she said. "Serving drinks is preferable to what she used to do."

"So does the volus' name sound familiar?" he asked.

"No," she replied. "It's likely a fake name. A volus with _that_ kind of money doesn't just show up, even on Omega."

"What are you going to do then?" he asked.

"I'll handle it," she replied. "Aria already has someone looking into the volus, another Executioner. We're not supposed to assist one another unless ordered too, so she can't know I'm doing her job. But I can't ignore this, not with Marilyn involved now."

Faust must have really cared for Marilyn's brother to want to keep her well, while he couldn't understand why she had not helped Marilyn leave the Slum's, there must have been a reason behind it. He wondered if Faust was much closer to Marilyn's brother than he had originally thought, which meant this was a sensitive matter. It explained why she was willing to cross an Executioner to get this information on the volus.

"Do you want my help?" he asked. "I'll do whatever you want."

"Don't worry, I can handle this," she said. "You just enjoy your free time."

He wanted to argue, but really, if Faust insisted he was going to enjoy whatever time off he had. He could prepare for his life after this, but there was no guarantee he was even going to get out of this life. He was just going to enjoy these moments of serenity while they lasted.

...

While he thought of going, he didn't actually return to Midnight's Delight until the same day the next week, this time under the guise of Rench. He had thought it best he go under a different face, as he often did when he went out, in case any of his old Blood Pack allies were still on Omega.

He had come across one or two, thankfully each time he had been a different krogan and he had not been recognized. Today he hoped going as Rench may serve him and Faust. It may get Marilyn to spare a few more minutes with him in order to find out more about this volus.

She had told him not to help, but Faust had dissapeared during the week, busy trying to track down as much information on the volus as impossible. He was worried, which was why he wanted to help. He had never seen her dive into work this way and the fact he had not seen or heard from her in that time worried him even more.

He tried to ask Meleena if she had seen Faust, but she didn't know and couldn't help because she was shipped off to the Citadel the very next day. Faust had been working alone her entire Executioner career, but now he was her partner and if he was ever going to get out of her debt he needed to help her whenever he could.

He headed to Midnight's Delight, still as busy as it was last week. He headed to the line, when someone caught his eye. A flash of white, so clear above the booming and pulsing colours of the club. He thought back to the day Steel defeated him, the figure of white he saw before passing out.

Surely he was seeing things. He still was not sure if he truly saw a figure in white, not when Faust's clothes were such dark colours that day. Her hair was white, yes, but he had thought he had seen an angel, a figure clad in beautiful white. Maybe he was just seeing things.

He turned back to the club and noticed the side door open. Marilyn appeared in the open doorway and waved him over. He hurried over when he saw her panicked expression. She led him through a small room and into a larger room, a storage closet, filled with worried dancers.

The smiling faces and warm welcomes were gone, these were the girls who went out into the spotlight and masked their fear with the most strained of smiles. Now though, with no one around, their fears and worries had bled through the papery thin smiles.

"I'm so glad you're here," Marilyn said. "I wanted to call Charlotte, but I couldn't get hold of her and I didn't want to leave without getting her into trouble-"

"Take a breath," he said. "Charlotte has been... busy, that's why she hasn't answered you. Now tell me, calmly, what's happened?"

"Girls have gone missing," Marilyn cried. "We see Vestacious take them to a back room and then they never come back."

"Have any of you seen anything else?" he asked. "Where they might be going?"

"I..." an asari raised her hand. "I saw them take Kate into the back room, I peeked inside and saw they were handing her over to a turian. He looked important and had lots of guards. I couldn't hear what was being said, but..."

She didn't need to finish, to him it seemed very obvious what Vestacious was doing. Giger had seen it happen often before. Vestacious was selling his dancers to either potential allies or debt collectors, which meant he was either making allies or was in a lot of trouble. Neither of those options were good.

It would explain why he suddenly appeared and with so much money. Perhaps this whole place was just a front so every credit earned could be returned to who he owed and if he didn't quite make it in time, then there was always girls to sell.

"Everything you've just said helps," he said.

"What should we do?" Marilyn asked. "If all of us leave he'll suspect something, if we don't then maybe we could be next!"

"He's only after dancers," one girl quipped in. "You're safe, Marilyn."

"I'll handle it, right now" he said. "Go back to work and let me and Charlotte take care of it."

"Really? Thank you!" Marilyn said.

"Yes, now go," he said, "before anyone notices you're all gone."

They all nodded quickly and filed out of the room, putting on their smiling masks. He waited until they were gone, then locked the door in order to give him a moment to think. He had to figure out how to get into contact with Faust and get to Vestacious. He could inform Aria, but he was not directly allowed to talk to her.

What was he to do?

His Omni-tool buzzed, as if answering his prayers, and he answered a call from Faust.

"Damn it, woman," he growled. "It's about time you called!"

"Sorry, but I've been busy," she said. "Looking into Vestacious, remember?"

"I remember and I've just spoken with Marilyn," he said. "The dancers are vanishing. Vestacious is likely selling them."

"You came to the same conclusion as me," she replied.

"Yes, but in a much shorter amount of time," he remarked.

"I had to look into his background, find out who he was," she retorted. "I didn't find out about the girl's until yesterday. If I had known..."

"Don't worry about that now, just get here," he said.

"Already here," she replied.

He frowned, noticing how the voice had suddenly become louder, and he turned. A figure stood behind him, dressed all in a white. It was his angel. But how the hell had she gotten in? She wore a veil and a jumpsuit and a jacket, and it was such a brilliant white he couldn't understand how he had barely seen her before.

"You..." he said. "How did you sneak in, wearing that?"

"I have my ways," she replied. "Now let's go and stop Vestacious before anyone else gets hurt."

"Doesn't Aria need to know?" he asked. "What will happen when she finds out?"

"We serve the people," she said, "not Aria, remember?"

He had almost forgotten, with all the Executioner's running around for Aria he had forgotten that Faust was different. That her goal was Omega, not Aria, that the people were her master's and she the servant. And now, with Vestacious even more of a threat, he was about to make a dangerous enemy.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

_I can't remember the last time I updated this story, I'm **so** sorry! I'll admit I've spent the last few weeks or however long it's been settling into uni life and I got really distracted by everything, but I'm now hopefully back on track :)_


	7. Announcement

Hello followers!

I understand this story has been out of sorts, with updates being very slow, and the fact is I was debating deleting this story and _maybe_ returning to it at a later date. But for now this story will remain with an **HIATUS** status. It maybe a piss-poor excuse that I haven't had any time to write, but that is the plain and simple truth. My new course is far more demanding than I expected, so for now the story will remain in limbo and occasionally a new chapter may appear.

I'm sorry for any disappointment, or frustration, but I love Faust and Giger too much to just delete them and give them up. Have some faith - or much patience - and hopefully, given time, the story will back be on track.


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